Hyperbenthos MONEOS (De Vlaamse Waterweg)

Since 2006-2008, with the improvement of water quality, suddenly more hyperbenthos have appeared in the Scheldt estuary. By hyperbenthos we mean all small fauna (1 mm to a few cm) living on and just above the riverbed. In the Scheldt Sea, this mainly concerns shrimps (Decapoda), Mysida and juvenile fish. This ecosystem component has soon proven to be an important part of the food chain. A modest monitoring programme was therefore added to the standard riverbed fauna sampling upon advice following the T-2009 evaluation. The monitoring focuses on the distribution and evolution of shrimps (and juvenile fish) throughout the Zeeschelde estuary at 6 fixed locations since 2013.